South Korea ferry sinks: dramatic footage of passengers being rescued

Aerial footage shows terrified passengers wearing life jackets being pulled to
safety as water laps over the rails of the sinking ferry

8:35AM BST 16 Apr 2014

Hundreds are missing after a ferry capsized off South Koreawith 477 people on board - mostly high school students bound for a holiday island.

Officials voiced concern over the fate of over 300 people unaccounted for, fearing that many may have been trapped as the vessel listed sharply and capsized within two hours of sending a distress signal at 9:00am (0000 GMT).

Dramatic aerial footage shows terrified passengers wearing life jackets being pulled to safety as water laps over the rails of the sinking ferry.

Of the 448 passengers on board the ferry which had been bound for the popular southern resort island of Jeju, 324 were students travelling with 14 teachers from a high school in Ansan, just south of Seoul.

The South Koren government said two people had been confirmed dead, including one male student and one female crew member.